May 12 – National Nutty Fudge Day

Happy Nutty Fudge Day!

Before we go on, I must say my mother-in-law makes the absolute best melt-in-your-mouth sweet and creamy peanut butter fudge I have ever tasted! And believe me, I have tasted a lot. I always try the fudge at candy stores just for complete accuracy of my claim, but they don’t even come close. She says that it freezes well too, but I’ve never had mine long enough to put in the freezer! Having said that… let me share a sweet and creamy picture book with you about a grandma’s visit with her grandchildren.Peeny Butter Fudge written by Toni and Slade Morrison and illustrated by Joe Cepeda (2009)

Mom leaves her three children in the care of their grandmother, Nana for the day. She leaves explicit instructions for meals, snacks, naps, and play on the refrigerator. However, Nana has other ideas! Her naps include all four of them snuggled together on one big bed, they read storybooks on the stairs, and have potato sack races in the backyard. Nana makes a huge lunch of biscuits, ham, and lemonade. Then the kids take turns playing doctor with Nana as the patient.They dance and put puzzles together. And just before it’s time for mom to come home, Nana teaches the kids how to make peeny butter fudge, from her secret family recipe. When mom comes in the door, there is fudge everywhere and a mess on the floor, counters, and kids. Just as she is about to get angry, she smells the fudge and remembers learning how to make fudge when she was a little girl. Nana is covered with sweet and creamy hugs and kisses. Awwwww!

(And there’s a recipe for Peeny Butter Fudge on the last page, just in case you don’t know my mother-in-law.)